Universitat de Girona, 25 i 26 de novembre del 2010

* English

I International Conference in Communication and Society

Image and Communication in Cuba

University of Girona, 25th and 26th of November, 2010

The Research Group on “Institutional and Social Communication” at the UdG, together with the Faculty of Tourism and the Department of Languages and Communication of the University of Girona, organizes the I International Conference in Communication and Society. In this first edition, they are dedicated to the study of the communication in Cuba.

Studying the phenomenon of communication involves considering how messages are structured, produce and receive. However, we understand that the analysis must be focused also on the field of the ideas and values that circulate through different media and formats and the power relations that are conveyed through them. In the case of Cuba, the analysis of its communication system is very interesting because of the peculiarities of the island. In fact, from the perspective of teaching, teaching communication in Cuba is planed as an instrument to reinforce the revolution strategies.

Nevertheless, from the standpoint of design, Cuban contributions have a remarkable value. The Design Institute in La Havana, where UdG signed a memorandum of understanding, represents an excellent model of work and shows that the most important aim of design is creating a more liveable environment.

Moreover, in Cuba we will not find any advertisement. This space is occupied by another sort of claim: political, social and cultural messages that the Cuban revolution spreads across the island. This communication strategy has some clear historical references in the Soviet Union, but also, for example, in the Spanish Civil War posters.

Another media which is going to be analysed in the conference is cinema. In fact, during the sixties the Latin American cinema started a process of revolutionary fervour and immersion and, with a remarkable aesthetic quality, it became a spearhead in the struggle for the emancipation of Latin America from the US cultural, economic and political control. The cinema in Cuba is a valuable instrument to know the daily reality of a particular country. The fact that Gabriel Garcia Marquez was a cofounder of a film school is quite significant. This fact, together with the strong tradition of the Soviet cinema and the Italian neorealist style, permitted that with the beginning of the communist era in Cuba, the country consolidated an own film personality that influenced the new generations of film directors, not only the those closest to the regime, but also the dissidents.

The I Conference in Communication and Society wants to analyse a large sample of the Cuban media system: graphic design, industrial design, political posters, cinema or the education system. Moreover, the UdG, with this conference wants to promote the relationships between Cuba and Catalonia.

Locations:

University of Girona. Faculty of Lenguages

Les Bernades Cultural Centre, in Salt

The Museum of the Cinema, in Girona

The Truffant Cinema of Girona

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Dates:

25th and 26th of November, 2010

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Organization

Research Group on “Institutional and Social Communication”, UdG

Faculty of Tourism, UdG

Department of Languages and Communication, UdG

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With the collaboration of:

Girona Regional Government

Salt City Council

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Catalan Government

Spanish Embassy in Havana. Cultural Council

County Council of Gironès

The American House of Catalonia

The Museum of Cinema of Girona

Ajuntament de Girona

The Truffant Cinema of Girona

Bonart cultural

Docupolis-El Tercer Ojo

ACA (Audiovisual Creators Association)

Santiago Álvarez Foundation

Lola Cafè – Girona (Món Apart Grup)

Espelt Viticultors

Televisió de Girona

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Direction:

Lluís Costa, Research Group on “Institutional and Social Communication”, UdG

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Organizing committee:

Ramon Girona, Research Group on “Institutional and Social Communication”, UdG.

Rosa M. Collell, Research Group on “Institutional and Social Communication”, UdG.

Josep M. Nadal, Department of Languages and Communication, UdG.

Lluís Mundet, Faculty of Tourism, UdG

Ricard Planas, Bonart Cultural

Flora Bacquelaine, Cultura Fractal

David Serra, Research Group on “Institutional and Social Communication”, UdG.

7.30pm: Museum of Cinema in Girona. “Mil Metros Bajo Tierra” [Thousand meters under the land]. This is a sample of Cuban documentary cinema. Mil Metros Bajo Tierra is a foundation that promotes the underground cinema worldwide. In Girona, it is going to present the last proposals of the Cuban young directors with a sample of documentary cinema that can show the social context of the Cuban political posters. Speakers: Àngel Quintana, Professor of the University of Girona.

5.30h: Communciation and Literature: the social and political poetry of Nicolás Guillén. Concert of Marieta Sánchez and Papito Angarica.

7.00pm: Conclusions and Closing session. Lluís Costa (UdG).

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Parallel activities

24rd of November (20:30). The Truffant Cinema in Girona. “Soy Cuba” (Mikjail Kalotojov, 1964). Cuban-soviet film with an explendid communicative value, which was reordered during the period called “the Missile crisis”, just a few days before the beginning of the US blockade in Cuba. The film is going to be presented by Ramon Girona (UdG), Flora Bacquelaine (Cultura Factal) and Guillem Terribas (Cinema Truffant).

During the month of November, students of the School Annex of Girona will make a macro-mural inside the walls of the school to pay attention to some of the Cuban revolutionary referents. The director is the painter Lluís Bosch Martí, one of the most important painters of the vindictive mural painting in Girona. The results will be filmed, photographed and documented, and will be part of an exhibition that will be displayed on the Conference.

During the week of 22 to 28 November, the Llibreria 22 from Girona will present a selection Cuban Literature.

During the month of November there is going to be displayed the exhibition “Vaya Valla! Cuban revolutionary graphics”, in Les Bernades.

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CALL FOR PAPERS

First International Conference in Communication and Society

Image and Communication in Cuba

University of Girona, 25th and 26th of November, 2010

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Topics

We accept papers related with the general topics presented in the conference programme and, above all, related with Cuban reality, not only from nowadays life, but also a historical analysis. Some key words are: industrial design, posters, cinema, communication…

Guidelines

The papers must have maximum 10 pages long (18.000 characters with spaces). Every paper will have a summary of 60 lines maximum, where the scientific committee can analyse the objectives of the paper and the references used by the authors. Furthermore, every paper will have a short profile of every author. Every paper can have a maximum of 8 pictures, which will be send by digital support.

Deadlines

A summary of the paper must be sent before 15th November to lluis.sarda@udg.edu, and the whole paper must be given to the organizing committee the same day of the Conference, in hard copy and with digital format.

The organizing committee hopes to publish the papers presented in the Conference. However, the organizing committee and the scientific committee have the possibility to reject publishing those papers which not fulfil the quality standards that are required in these guidelines. The scientific committee can not accept those papers without a correct scientific approach of with methodological problems. Only the author is responsible for the content of the paper, above all, with all the ideological aspects.